Thailand this year

[SSMH]

Is anyone planning to go to Thailand this year? We are going in March and just trying to make sense of all the rules!

This is helpful, we are hoping to go in the summer, originally planned for April but moved to summer after BA cancelled flights.

Pic taken from TUI website travel guide if you can’t see if clearly

@TooTiredToBeCreative

This is helpful, we are hoping to go in the summer, originally planned for April but moved to summer after BA cancelled flights.

Thanks for this, do you have the link as it gets blurry when I zoom in? Our BA flights were cancelled also but they allowed us to rebook the same dates with Qatar which is good. We've never flown with them before and probably will in September to go to Bali so looking forward to it!

@TooTiredToBeCreative

Pic taken from TUI website travel guide if you can’t see if clearly

Just seen this, thank you!

We're also going in March-BA cancelled our flights too so had to rebook.

Can't really read the chart on my phone so will check the Tui website. One part of our trip may not happen as not part of the Sandbox scheme but our travel agents did say the Thai government may well update their rules at the end of January.

Flipping covid!

www.tui.co.uk/holidays/where-can-i-go-on-holiday/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Entry-requirements-for-our-holiday-destinations-240122-1.pdf

@DustySpringboard

We're also going in March-BA cancelled our flights too so had to rebook.

Can't really read the chart on my phone so will check the Tui website. One part of our trip may not happen as not part of the Sandbox scheme but our travel agents did say the Thai government may well update their rules at the end of January.

Flipping covid!

The rules have changed! It's back to the Test and Go scheme. An extra day of PCR testing now though. Not clear whether we need to PCR test before we go though:

www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/thailand-travel-restrictions

According to the chart, a PCR is required 72hrs before departure and another one upon entry to Thailand. Still looks like we can't get to Bangkok though.

Thinking about booking for the end of the year, but a little nervous as to how things might pan out.

We are going at the end of the summer for 3 weeks. We also have a peel-off to Siem Reap booked for that time. I know it’s rainy season in August/September, but having lived in the tropics for many years, it’s my experience that ‘rainy season’ usually means 45 minutes of harsh downpour every afternoon and sun the rest of the day (vs all day drizzle like the UK). I actually quite like traveling in rainy season because it’s cheaper, the countryside is sparkling green, the air quality is better with rain, and generally an afternoon downpour can be quite refreshing in the heat. My one concern is the jungle safari leg with Elephant Hills, but they seem to think it’s not a problem aside from the mud. We’ll just bring ponchos for the safari and shoes that can get muddy.

The itinerary is:

Bangkok 2 nights (to get over jet lag and maybe do a temple or two)
Siem Reap 4 nights
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan 8-9 nights
Elephant Hills 2 nights (they have a big sale on, kids stay free and adults are 25% off)
Bangkok 3 nights (we’ll take the night train from Surat Thani).

I’m toying with doing Chiang Mai for 3 nights at the end instead of Bangkok. 🤔

@MistyElla

We are going at the end of the summer for 3 weeks. We also have a peel-off to Siem Reap booked for that time. I know it’s rainy season in August/September, but having lived in the tropics for many years, it’s my experience that ‘rainy season’ usually means 45 minutes of harsh downpour every afternoon and sun the rest of the day (vs all day drizzle like the UK). I actually quite like traveling in rainy season because it’s cheaper, the countryside is sparkling green, the air quality is better with rain, and generally an afternoon downpour can be quite refreshing in the heat. My one concern is the jungle safari leg with Elephant Hills, but they seem to think it’s not a problem aside from the mud. We’ll just bring ponchos for the safari and shoes that can get muddy.

The itinerary is:

Bangkok 2 nights (to get over jet lag and maybe do a temple or two)
Siem Reap 4 nights
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan 8-9 nights
Elephant Hills 2 nights (they have a big sale on, kids stay free and adults are 25% off)
Bangkok 3 nights (we’ll take the night train from Surat Thani).

I’m toying with doing Chiang Mai for 3 nights at the end instead of Bangkok. 🤔

This sounds amazing! We're doing Bangkok for 2 nights, Chiangmai for 5 and Koh Samui for 6. Really excited! Hopefully the testing is all OK but we should be fine as we recently had covid.

Yes I hope testing is okay for you, OP! With the new test and go coming back, I think you should be fine. We weee initially thinking of trying to do Singapore as well but their testing rules are a lot more intense, so we’ll stay in Thailand I think. I am hoping that after Omicron fades, the world will get a few months of respite with immunity from all the infections and things will really open up for the summer travel period!

Hi - just cancelled our trip to Thailand for March due to testing rules. PCR 72 hrs before departure; PCR at Phuket on arrival and must then travel to hotel in a 'sealed transportation' whatever that means and then remain in hotel room until results come back (could take up to 12 hours). PCR required on day 5 and again must remain in room until results come back. Will rearrange for later in the year if rules change.

Just following as would also like to go to Thailand this year!

@MistyElla your trip sounds brilliant. Not sure if you have been before but the food hall at Bangkok Central train station is really good

I'm thinking of cancelling too Bronte but we'd lose £££ unless travel agents advise against going, they won't say for sure for another week or so but it's giving me brain ache trying to get my head around it all. To compound matters, were meant to be flying home via Singapore

@MistyElla

Yes I hope testing is okay for you, OP! With the new test and go coming back, I think you should be fine. We weee initially thinking of trying to do Singapore as well but their testing rules are a lot more intense, so we’ll stay in Thailand I think. I am hoping that after Omicron fades, the world will get a few months of respite with immunity from all the infections and things will really open up for the summer travel period!

Yes I am hoping so! We're hoping to book Bali for September (postponed honeymoon) but they still want you to quarantine for 7 days! That would be half my holiday so not an option. Fingers crossed the situation improves

@BronteGirl

Hi - just cancelled our trip to Thailand for March due to testing rules. PCR 72 hrs before departure; PCR at Phuket on arrival and must then travel to hotel in a 'sealed transportation' whatever that means and then remain in hotel room until results come back (could take up to 12 hours). PCR required on day 5 and again must remain in room until results come back. Will rearrange for later in the year if rules change.

All the testing is very annoying (and an additional cost) but we are just going to do it as we've wanted to go for a couple of years now and don't know when else we will be able to do it

@MistyElla

We are going at the end of the summer for 3 weeks. We also have a peel-off to Siem Reap booked for that time. I know it’s rainy season in August/September, but having lived in the tropics for many years, it’s my experience that ‘rainy season’ usually means 45 minutes of harsh downpour every afternoon and sun the rest of the day (vs all day drizzle like the UK). I actually quite like traveling in rainy season because it’s cheaper, the countryside is sparkling green, the air quality is better with rain, and generally an afternoon downpour can be quite refreshing in the heat. My one concern is the jungle safari leg with Elephant Hills, but they seem to think it’s not a problem aside from the mud. We’ll just bring ponchos for the safari and shoes that can get muddy.

The itinerary is:

Bangkok 2 nights (to get over jet lag and maybe do a temple or two)
Siem Reap 4 nights
Koh Samui & Koh Phangan 8-9 nights
Elephant Hills 2 nights (they have a big sale on, kids stay free and adults are 25% off)
Bangkok 3 nights (we’ll take the night train from Surat Thani).

I’m toying with doing Chiang Mai for 3 nights at the end instead of Bangkok. 🤔

You also need to watch out for leeches in rainy season. We trekked in Khao Sok in rainy season and all had multiple leeches despite our best efforts

@SSMH
Just be prepared that if you test positive (and I've heard that the PCR test in Thailand is more sensitive than that in most other countries) that you will be forced to quarantine in "hospitels". You need to make sure that your insurance will cover this as often they won't if you're asymptomatic.
It's a bit of a risk. Not terrible but be prepared just in case.
The plus side of travelling now is that you'll never see the touristy parts of Thailand as empty as they are now!

Another consideration is that if kids test positive and parents test negative, the kids will be sent to a hospital and the parents won't be able to be with them. That was the dealbreaker for me to cancel our trip.

@festivebitches
They've kind of calmed down with that insanity of separating children (they now allow parents to isolate with children as far as I know but you have to all stay in isolation until everyone is negative). But you never know, especially if you're in the provinces outside of Bangkok, what the local officials will decide to do!!

[quote FarangGirl]@SSMH
Just be prepared that if you test positive (and I've heard that the PCR test in Thailand is more sensitive than that in most other countries) that you will be forced to quarantine in "hospitels". You need to make sure that your insurance will cover this as often they won't if you're asymptomatic.
It's a bit of a risk. Not terrible but be prepared just in case.
The plus side of travelling now is that you'll never see the touristy parts of Thailand as empty as they are now![/quote]
Do you know anyone that has tested negative when leaving but positive on arrival in Thailand? DH and I had covid at Christmas and we are travelling in a month so hopefully this wouldn't be detected on a test as it would be 3 months since we had it!

Not personally. But someone did descibe their experience here:
www.facebook.com/groups/thaipass/permalink/1334161993768733/

[quote FarangGirl]Not personally. But someone did descibe their experience here:
www.facebook.com/groups/thaipass/permalink/1334161993768733/[/quote]
Thank you! We have the NHS recovery certificate so hopefully that will be enough!